


I saw pale kings, and princes too

by tigriswolf



Series: comment_fic drabbles [34]
Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-21
Updated: 2011-11-21
Packaged: 2017-10-26 09:26:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/281421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigriswolf/pseuds/tigriswolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Between the two of them, they've broken every law involving weapons or theft. Neal thinks he's the better twin, though, because he's never killed.</p><p>Bryce says he is, because he was only ever caught after he was dead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title: I saw pale kings, and princes too  
> Fandom: Chuck/White Collar  
> Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Keats  
> Warnings: AU  
> Pairings: none  
> Rating: PG  
> Wordcount: 205  
> Point of view: third  
> Prompt: Chuck/White Collar, Neal +or/ Bryce, it's impossible to tell which is the worst influence

Between the two of them, they've broken every law involving weapons or theft. Neal thinks he's the better twin, though, because he's never killed.

Bryce says he is, because he was only ever caught after he was dead.

Neal just gives him a pout for bringing up that horrible event again, and Bryce promises to take him to the Louvre later in the week.

Peter bursts in at that moment, Chuck on his heels, and they receive the same innocent expressions, blue eyes wide and pure as the sky.

Peter's glare is ferocious, but there's a hint of laughter at the corners of his mouth, and Chuck's babbling about Neal's successful and varied career. When Peter glances back at him, brow raised, Chuck quiets instantly.

Bryce huffs a small laugh and Neal ducks his head, smothering a grin. There won't be any Louvre in the near future, but they will sneak out to the Metropolitan Museum of Art later, while Chuck (and possibly Casey) distract Peter, and for the first time in a long time, they'll actually act like the brothers they used to be, back when they only played at being dangerous and Neal dreamed of being famous and Bryce thought about saving the world.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal is a thief. And a con-artist. And a forger. And so smooth he makes Bryce look like an amateur, which, dude, wow. That’s skills.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title: I saw pale kings, and princes too  
> Fandom: Chuck/White Collar  
> Disclaimer: not my characters; title from Keats  
> Warnings: AU  
> Pairings: none  
> Rating: PG  
> Wordcount: 330  
> Point of view: third

Bryce has an identical twin. ( _An evil twin_ , Bryce laughs, and Neal cuffs him across the back of his head.)

This is _so cool_. Casey spends the whole mission grumbling under his breath, and Sarah is sternly professional, no matter how Neal flirts (with her, and Casey, and Chuck, and the barista, and the parking lot attendant, and honestly, _everyone ever_ ), and they speak in a made-up language, and Agent Burke just sighs long-sufferingly because Bryce with an _identical twin_ boggles the mind.

Neal is a thief. And a con-artist. And a forger. And so smooth he makes Bryce look like an amateur, which, dude, wow. That’s skills.

If they talk about their childhood, it’s where nobody can hear. Or in that language no one else in the whole world knows. Chuck stills knows as much as he ever did about Bryce before Stanford, which is all of nothing. Casey and Sarah don’t seem to know much more, or Agent Burke, but Mrs. Burke ( _Call me El, sweetie_ ) makes up stories with him.

(Bryce and Neal are the sons of rival assassins, or descended from royalty, or were special agents assigned to kill each other, or a government experiment that turned on its maker. Neal laughs when they walk in. Bryce grins.)

The mission is over all too soon. Neal promises to keep in contact, but Chuck knows he won’t. Bryce says he’ll check up, make sure his little brother isn’t getting into too much trouble.

Agent Burke thanks Casey and Sarah for their help, tells Chuck to keep an eye on Neal’s evil twin, and orders Neal to return Chuck’s wallet.

Neal’s grin is innocent, _who, me?_ Bryce laughs, handing Chuck his wallet with an identical grin.

“Gettin’ out of practice, lil’brother,” Bryce says.

“I let you,” Neal responds, flipping his hat onto his head.

Chuck has no idea which is lying, and Casey drags him out of the building, Bryce sauntering smoothly in their wake.


End file.
